Freedom in a Cage
by Lost-Remembrance
Summary: Kyou goes missing for a while and suddenly shows up, but something's wrong with him...something is terribly wrong...
1. Chapter One

Freedom in a Cage-

Introduction

"Are you sure?" Tohru asked with concern. She knew how much rainy days like these really sapped the strength out of him.

The rain season brought so much rain, Kyou was having a hard time dealing with the sudden lack of energy, like he was always tired. Until summer came and then it would be dead hot.

"I'm sure." He said roughly underneath his blue umbrella. "I just need some time alone." He said, knowing the roof would be soaking wet with the heavy rainfall that was hitting them with a lighter force currently.

"When will you be back?" Tohru asked, noticing Yuki's lack of speak as of this moment. She sighed inwardly, knowing how much they hated each other. Did it have to be that way? Were the cat and rat destined to be sworn enemies until...she didn't even know what would happen when or, better yet, if they would ever become friends.

"I'll be back before sunset," He said, even though the sun clearly wasn't lout, hiding behind the dark grey storm clouds.

"Alright then, about five or so?" Tohru asked, satisfied with the nod that she got from the neko human.

She smiled before walking off in a different direction with Yuki. She knew nothing was bothering him, he probably just needed sometime to be with himself. After being with Shigure for so long with no where else to go in the damp weather, he would need some time alone she reasoned.

Kyou walked off towards the city. The rain was slowly stopping for a while, but he knew better than to hope the damp weather would stop. Soon it would come back in full force.

So many things had been on his mind as of recently; the suicide of his mother, how his father left him, his original cat form, memories of the seemingly distant past, and the head of the family, Akito.

He sighed heavily. 'Why does everything that I think I deserve really not be meant for me.' An image of Tohru flashed into his mind and he shook it hard, trying to rid himself of the image. It dissipated.

He couldn't let anything bad happen to her. Anything in the least would be blamed on him. Everything that went wrong, even the slightest bit, was blamed on him even when he didn't do it.

Words cut deeper than it looked on him, everything in his life was screwed up. His mother hated him so much it lead her to die even though she never admitted she hated him, the way she was so timid around her own son. She was afraid of him, and he could tell. She always checked his bracelet, telling him how much she "loved" him.

It was a lie. Everything was a lie. Before he knew it he was into the city's heart, standing in front of the Sohma house gates. He turned to leave, despising whatever lead him there before the sound of the door opening stopped him.

He turned around to see who it was and came face to face with...Akita.

He was grinning maliciously at the young cat, a twisted and demented look glazed over his eyes. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in." He laughed wickedly, seeing how Kyou flinched slightly at this.

"Akito," Kyou said, barely controlling his anger that was quickly burning deep and fully inside of him. He shook his head to clear it and smiled at him wickedly too. Two could play at this game. "You shouldn't be out here." He said snidely. "Don't want to die any sooner, eh bastard?"

That struck a nerve and soon he was surrounded in the darkness that claimed his consciousness.

"You'll pay for that, baka neko. Oh, you will pay for that." He whispered angrily into the unconscious teenage boy's ear. He snapped his finger and two of his servants dragged the cursed boy inside the residency.

The doors slammed closed, tightly locking up Kyou in a place of horrors he tried to run away from.

TBC


	2. Chapter Two

He had been missing for a while; he never came back at the set date. Tohru and the others were beginning to get worried.

Kyou hadn't come back the night before, being the next day now. Yuki tried to calm Tohru saying he probably just needed more time to himself, though deep down he felt it was more than that, something wasn't right about all of this.

Worrying about the orange-topped boy they sent out on searches yet found nothing. Somehow, they never went by to the estate of the Sohma house. Maybe they would have heard his screams.

One day, Tohru was even more under the weather.

She sighed heavily. They tried every place they could think of, even the school's roof! There had been neither tail nor hide of the spunky teenager and the house was too quiet and at unrest without him.

Even Yuki seemed a tad bit weary. He never admitted that he hated the cat, even though it was "destiny" but he hadn't seemed himself lately.

She was walking by when she heard scuffling. It was coming from Kyou's room and as she gripped a box of detergent, prepared to throw it into the intruder's face.

She slid open the door and a mess of orange hair and crimson red eyes stared at her, shocked at seeing her.

"K-Kyou?" She let out in a whisper, thinking her eyes were starting to make her delusional. "I-is it really you?"

He said nothing but stared at her. He seemed different somehow, and she realized it was how he acted and his eyes...

The once flaming red eyes that made anyone fall in love with him was gone, as if someone dowsed it in water, extinguishing it. He held his pose like he always did, but something was underneath that skin of his. Something that finally came out and shown itself.

No one knew what had happened to him while he went missing during that time.

"Kyou?" She asked with concern. The rain had stopped a day ago, but he seemed under the weather. It had been a day since he had come back. He was silent, not bothering to look up from his food, which he was moving around with the chopsticks. He had barely touched his meal and Tohru had noticed how thin he had gotten.

"Kyou, you know it's not nice to ignore Tohru." Shigure said with underlying twisted humor. He knew this would make Kyou explode, but he looked at Kyou. He didn't even budge, then he knew that something was wrong.

Kyou got up, grabbed his dishes and went to go put them into the kitchen.

Yuki stood up also, blocking his way. He threw back his fist and landed a solid punch onto Kyou's cheek, sending it to the other side. It was easy enough for Kyou to dodge it, but he just walked right past Yuki, a bruise forming on his cheek.

Yuki would have sworn that would have sent him reeling into a fight, maybe it would make Kyou feel more like himself, but it did nothing of the sort. He didn't even retaliate.

Shigure stared at Yuki who took his place again, deep in thought. The light sounds of Kyou walking up the stairs could be heard and then the sliding of his door.

The clinking of dishes told that they were done with the dishes for breakfast as Tohru walked up to go and get Kyou ready for school, or tell him that they were going to leave.

The door to his room opened before Tohru touched the handle and she looked at a neatly dressed Kyou in his school uniform. Well, the same as he always looked, though the smile and flame in his crimson eyes were long gone.

'What's happened to you, Kyou?' Her mind reeled as he brushed past her lightly, heading down the stairs without a second glance. He walked towards the door with his backpack and he slipped his shoes on.

Tohru followed suit, taking off her apron and grabbing her shoes and Yuki came, doing the same, sending glances and such at Kyou.

Tohru was lost in her thoughts the whole time, worried about the state of Kyou. 'What happened while he went missing?' She couldn't help but wonder to herself, afraid to ask for answers.

Kyou's head was down as he looked at the sidewalk, his face seemingly shadowed and haunted. Yuki was looking straight ahead and same for Tohru, though she wasn't paying attention to anything.

It was going to be a long and hard day at school. She was certain her friends would notice the difference in the young teenager.

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

Freedom in a Cage

Chapter 3:

Author's note: Hehe, sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Y'all will think I'm weird or something but you see, the reason for the long wait was because...I couldn't remember Tohru's friends names . oops!

Freedom in a Cage: (note: this is a flashback of some of what Akito did to Kyou)

Kyou blinked as the darkness had finally dissipated from his swimming vision. 'What the hell happened?' His mind questioned itself, growing angry at the lack of answers he had for himself. What could he answer if HE didn't even know the answer. He was about to get up off the position he was in, upright and leaning against the wall, and stopped when he realized that his arms refused to work. He looked back in slight anger.

_He blinked and realized why they wouldn't move and he discovered that not only them, but also his legs too. Cold iron shackles held him down on the floor and leaning against the wall with little movement and freedom._

_His breath came a little harsher now, as he seemed to think this reminded him of something, something that he blotted from his subconscious state and conscious state when it occurred. Whenever he managed to grab a whisk of a memory, his skull pounded as if someone was hitting him in a repetitive motion over and over again._

_He bowed his head, knowing he had no chance of escaping his captors as he was chained to this wall. Even with his experience in martial arts, he had no way of breaking the chains if both his hands and feet were bound in such a manner like this._

_With his head still bowed, he closed his eyes and let his orange hair tickle lightly across his forehead as he let out a heavy sigh. He opened his eyes once again, hearing a sound but glared when he saw it was a rat scurrying across the room. 'Damn rats.' His mind snarled angrily, even though it was a plain rat and looked nothing like Yuki._

_He glared at the rat, shuffling slightly as he tried to recollect on what had happened._

'_I was walking through the streets...' _

_The damp weather had made him be more exhausted as he made his way through the wet streets. How he hated the rain. Then some shadows appeared in front of him and he blinked as he lifted his head and looked at them angrily. He hadn't noticed he took a wrong corner and ended up down an alley._

"_Well, well, well," A larger dark figure commented. "Look what the **cat** dragged in!" He laughed as the others chimmed in to. _

"_Maybe...maybe it was a gang!" Kyou muttered to himself, questioning to who his captors were. They were large and they reminded him of something. But...how did they know of him being the cat?! He knew they said that deliberately to taunt him, but no one other than the Sohma's knew that secret._

_His head snapped up, 'That can only mean...!' His amber eyes grew slightly wider as the door opened with a loud clank._

"_Well, well," A voice wavered through the air to him, ensnaring him in the trap he had plotted out. "Looks like the kitty-cat figured out just what is going on."_

_Kyou's eyes narrowed at this as he hissed through clenched teeth, "Akito."_

_TBC_

Author's note:

Sorry, I know that it's really short and I'm not updating really fast, but...I'm trying to figure out just how Akito tortured him (I'll give you a hint on what one of them was and it starts with an 'r'). So that's how this story is coming along. I'm so happy that there have been as many reviews that I have! . I have fans! (I think that is!) Reviews are really helpful if you have any suggestions or tips. Thanks! The one and only,

Red Tail


	4. Chapter Four

_They were large and they reminded him of something. But...how did they know of him being the cat?! He knew they said that deliberately to taunt him, but no one other than the Sohma's knew that secret._

_His head snapped up, 'That can only mean...!' His amber eyes grew slightly wider as the door opened with a loud clank._

"_Well, well," A voice wavered through the air to him, ensnaring him in the trap he had plotted out. "Looks like the kitty-cat figured out just what is going on."_

_Kyou's eyes narrowed at this as he hissed through clenched teeth, "Akito."_

Chapter 4:

Akito laughed darkly as he grinned, reaching behind himself to pull out a hip, one with metal tips at the end which would sting and cut deep into the wound.

Kyou bit his lip until it bled and let out a suppressed scream. He wouldn't give Akito the pleasure of hearing him scream, the pleasure of knowing how much it hurt. 'Damnit, it hurts!' He said before driving the thought away. He couldn't register the pain if he didn't think about it, right?

Wrong.

He felt the blood running down his back and heard the whip fall with a thud to the floor. He looked up through orange hair plastered to his face by the cold sweat he had shed. He was breathing heavily, his lashes welling up slightly from being torn so hideously. He felt his body lean forward, not going to collapse on the floor because of the metal biting into his wrists.

His eyes fluttered slightly as his vision danced.

"Who am I?" Akito questioned with dark pleasure dancing between the syllables. "Who am I, cat?" He questioned with distaste as he punctuated his point with a sharp kick to Kyou's rib cage.

The teenager winced, pain throbbing and pulsing through his body. "D-Damn you Akito…!" He hissed, baring his sharp fangs at the person he had long before dubbed in his mind if not out loud, a bastard.

"Wrong answer." Akito hissed as he grabbed a handful of Kyou's hair and jerked his head back and pushed him against the wall. He took out a dagger hidden in the many layers of his clothing and unsheathed it. He let the blade's shine dance around the walls from the light reflecting on its surface.

He brought it up to his lips, licking the blade like a maniac with a malicious glint in his eyes. "Do tell," The other man questioned, "Does it hurt?" He laughed darkly as he brought the blade down, trailing from the cat's neck past his collarbone and towards his abdomen, the shirt tearing from the sharpness. He smiled, thrusting the knife's blade into the teenager's abdomen with a quick and sharp thrust.

Kyou's eyes widened and his mouth formed a silent scream that didn't reach his vocal cords before curling himself into a slight ball to try and stop the pain, the knife still there. His form shook and he gulped, blood from his bitten lip flooding his taste bloods. He coughed and fell forward slightly, energy spent.

Akito bent down and let his fingers trail the line of the blade's path against Kyou's well-toned skin. His hands flittered above the hilt and he gripped it tightly, pushing it in slightly and getting a moan before pulling it out, slowly and loving every sound of pain coming from the panting teenager.

He laughed, licking some of the blood that stained the knife. He bent down before the cat, grinning again. "Now, who was I again?" He questioned, fingers lingering the knife slightly in a silent warning to the teenager to say a word wrong or out of place. "Who is you master, cat?"

Kyou bowed his head before Akito pulled his hair slightly again and bit his tongue, letting his tears fall slowly down his cheeks. "Y-you are." He choked out.

Akito grinned.

TBC

Author's note:

Muahahah! Another evil cliffhanger! Muahah! I made this one longer than I thought it would be (yea!) and I'm surprised I have the time to type this. I think I'm on a record so far! Very sorry for it being as short as some people would think, but it takes a lot of energy to type and all. Thank you everyone for the reviews that I've gotten. It makes me so happy! . Thanks for the support and I love reviews!

Red Tail


	5. Chapter Five

He laughed, licking some of the blood that stained the knife. He bent down before the cat, grinning again. "Now, who was I again?" He questioned, fingers lingering the knife slightly in a silent warning to the teenager to say a word wrong or out of place. "Who is you master, cat?"

Kyou bowed his head before Akito pulled his hair slightly again and bit his tongue, letting his tears fall slowly down his cheeks. "Y-you are." He choked out.

Akito grinned.

**Chapter Five:**

Hell.

That's what this place was. He was Akito's play toy. He was use, tainted and old. His body was broken but his soul and the fire that lit up in his eyes that gave him life was gone. He was an empty shell, something that was just…there.

"How's my little toy today?" A chilling voice said. No response was thrown back to his statement, not even a nasty retort to the teenager who had managed to take away everything he had worked so hard for. Kyou stared at the ground, head leaned over as his crimson eyes blinked, not even registering the pain that throbbed through his body.

The soft padding of footsteps didn't make him flinch or even struggle when a hand gripped his chin in a vice grip, yanking it up into the slight light of the room. His breathing hadn't increased nor did his pulse. Everything was as if he was sleeping. Akito's black hair hung slightly over his gleaming eyes as he looked at his pet.

Bruises riddled the many features of the once pride-filled cat. He had played the cat right into his hands, saying all the words and statements that Kyou's mind didn't even utter in his mind. Lashes from the whip that he used, studded or not, looked like mountain ridges on his back. The stained blood painted his back, falling off or running down his back when scabs were torn.

His bones showed through and it was obvious that he had been starved. His body gave up long after his soul. Dark circles hung under his eyes and his skin was a ghostly pale color. His once full face was now almost like a skeleton. His lips were cracked and parched, his voice seemed to no longer work.

"I do believe I have done an excellent job." Akito said idly. "Perhaps you're ready to be released and put into **dear** Tohru's care, neh?" Kyou didn't show any recognition to the name. The word freedom didn't register into his mind at all.

"Akito-sama." A voice said as a door was opened, spilling light into the dark room and letting the musk smell file slightly out of the room. The silhouette of a tall man was in the light from the outside world.

"Go away." Akito snapped sharply, moving so that the person's view couldn't see the broken form of the zodiac cat. The person opened his mouth to object but then stopped, Akito sending a spiteful glare at the person. "I **said**, go AWAY." He said this slowly to emphasize his point, letting the person catch on.

"Yes, Akito-sama." The person replied, being none other than the doctor Hatori. "I'll be waiting for you in your room for your checkup."

"Fine." The youth snapped angrily as he turned his back, signaling that he was through talking and the doctor's presence was no longer required or even wanted. The door closed silently and slowly, Hotari worried as he had a gut feeling that something wasn't right here.

"So, kitty cat," Akito hissed lightly at the cat who hadn't moved at all except for the rise and fall of his scarred and marked chest from inhaling and exhaling. "Are you ready to be free?" Kyou merely blinked and continued staring at the ground, his attention not holding for very long.

"I take that as a yes." Akito said snidely as he bent down, keys jingling as he unlocked the chains that held the broken body up and supported him. Kyou fell towards the ground and blinked as he registered the cold stones pressed against his cheek.

'Free…?' Kyou's spaced mind wondered vaguely.

TBC

BANG!!!

Okay, now that I have your attention, (grins evilly) I want to thank all reviewers. To put it plan and simple, lets just say that Kyou has been through one hell of a time. Imagine any torture techniques and that's what he's been through.

That's about it. Yep. Thanks for the reviews again everyone!

Red Tail


	6. Chapter Six

Freedom in a Cage 

"I'm…free…" Kyou whispered to himself, a dead look in his once spirited amber eyes, Wincing as he pulled himself to an almost upright position, he blinked bleary eyed in the sun that was dimming but still bright to his eyes. After being in the dark so long, he almost felt a tugging at his soul when he realized that he liked the dark, it comforted him and hid him from the word.

_What makes you think that anyone can love you?_ He shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around himself as he felt those cold hands. They tied him down like ropes, scars in his mind that never went away. He didn't have anywhere to go; he probably looked like hell right now. He nearly laughed at the thought; he had been through hell so why wouldn't he look like it.

"_Kyou-kun!"_ His breath caught in his throat as he bit his lip, turning away as he heard her voice. Damn her! Make it go away; all the pain and the rejection. She hadn't come. She **hadn't** come to help him. He saw her running toward him and he shied away from her, knowing it was actually just a figment of his imagination. It always was; she would **never** come for a baka neko.

"_Kyou!"_ The voice called again. He gripped his head, clenching his eyes closed so tightly that shimmering tears soon formed in his eyes slightly from being closed so tightly.

"Go away." He whispered, rocking slightly, his frail body so fragile in the setting scenery. The voice called again, like honey. Never changing and never leaving him alone. "Go away!" He seethed with growing anger.

"Kyou?" A light gruff voice whispered in the night. He heard a wooden door open and slide closed. Jerking his body around, tense and ready to fight his foe, he glared at the tall shadowed figure. "Is that you, Kyou?"

"Go away." He hissed, his eyes icing over, no long grinning maliciously, silently taunting anyone who dared to mess with him. They held a devoid look now that sent a shiver up the visitor's spine slightly. "Go away." He repeated with venom.

The person came out of the shadows and bent down so that he was eye level with the zodiac cat. "Kyou," The voice of Hatori was calm and strong. "It's me, Hatori. Are you all right?" He questioned with a glance over the tense teen's condition. It was obvious that he wasn't, festering wounds marred his one perfect skin and his body looked beaten up, black and blue with wounds and bruises all over.

Kyou didn't respond, he merely stared blankly ahead and Hatori averted his gaze from the teen, not able to keep the heavy silence that fell over the both of them. "Come on, let me treat your wounds." He offered his hands, getting up from his crouch on the ground.

"No." He said coldly and monotonously. He wouldn't; couldn't go back there. Back to where…he was. He shivered involuntarily and couldn't stop his shaking. The sun was gone as well as the heat that was left on the earth from the Earth's star.

"You have to." Hatori urged. "Your wounds are too serious for you to just go blundering around with." He commanded as he gripped Kyou's arm, which he tried to yank away of course, and puleld him up, supporting him with an arm over his shoulder. The older man couldn't help but notice the haunted and shadowed look in the youth's eyes when they neared the house's doors.

"What happened?" Silence was his answer. He should have known, even if Kyou hadn't changed with whatever happened to him he still most likely wouldn't have answered. He then remembered the master of the house, his charge, Akito.

His gaze grew dark when he remembered the certain absence many times during the last couple of weeks. Perhaps… "Did Akito do something to you." He could feel the tremor running through the lithe form. Kyou still didn't answer but whatever happened must have been something bad. He couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of mixed emotions consisting of anger, guilt, pity, and curiosity.

"Hatori." Kyou whispered. Hatori turned to look at Kyou. "I want you…" He choked out as he bit his lip. "I want you to erased my memories."

TBC

Author's note:

Muhahah! Well, sorry for the long update. It took a while to get inspired I guess. I have to work on As the Rain Falls now. Any other ideas for that story will be appreciative. He question is…who will be the pairings in these FB stories? Love y'all!

-Red Tail


	7. Chapter Seven

Author's note: Eh heh heh… I guess I should have updated a while ago. I am SOOOOO sorry for not updating; I feel so guilty ;; please forgive me. I've been so busy but I did this anyway!! -Red Tail

**Freedom in a Cage**

"W…What…?" Hatori questioned in mild shock that grew as the words slowly sank in. What Kyou wanted him to do… could never be reversed. Could never be undone. In fact, he had never before repressed memories of any of the Zodiac members, only human'' outside of the family.

"I want you to erase my memories." He said, more strongly this time as he clenched his fists at his side, waiting for the answer.

"No."

Kyou closed his eyes, his entire body rigid and tense. "…Why?" He whispered, the strength leaving him. He didn't want to live this cruel life anymore. Everything looked coldly on him.

_Kyou…_ He clenched his eyes closed. "Why?" He shouted, voice hoarse and riddled with tears that he refused to shed. He had at least that little glimmer of pride. He would have laughed at himself; the irony to those words at this situation. He was practically relying on Hatori to stand, too much blood lost from his body.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Hatori questioned behind a cool façade. Underneath his mask, he was seething with anger. He wanted to slap the young teen, wanted to comfort him, he wanted… he didn't know. These mixed emotions would drive him insane!

Kyou looked up, the glimmer of fire in his crimson eyes dulled and extinguished now. "Why?" He whimpered and whispered at the same time, collapsing to his knees despite Hatori's firm grasp on his arms.

Why did he want Hatori to erase his memories; why did he want **her** to leave him; why this had happened to him? Why was his life so fucked up? So insanely fucked up? He was so lost in questioned not answered that he didn't even notice that he was sobbing, his fingers digging into the earth.

"Kyou…pull yourself together." Hatori said, kneeling as he grasped onto the quivering teen's shoulders. His frail body was ghostly colored; thin also as if he hadn't been fed wherever he had been. He looked like glass; as if he might break if the wind blew too hard.

"Don't touch me!" He screamed, pulling away with surprising speed. His fingers shook as he dug his nails into where Hatori's hands had been, acting as if acid was on his skin. Hatori stared, eyes slightly widened. "Don't look at me!" Kyou sobbed, hugging himself as he tried to get away from Hatori's stony gaze.

"Kyou…" Hatori breathed, sliding up from his sitting position in the dirt and taking a small step towards the broken cat.

"Get away!" Kyou stood up, taking a few steps back, stumbling slightly as some bloody stains appeared on the mud. He pivoted on his heel, turning away as he rushed for the gates that would et him leave. He was running away, again. And he would keep on running until the day he died.

"Kyou!" Hatori shouted, rushing after his should-be patient. Wind rushed at him, pushing his cry back into his mouth. He looked towards the darkening sky. A storm was brewing; that wasn't good at all. He looked back at the distant form of the running, or more like stumbling, Zodiac member.

"I had better call the others." He said to himself, turning on his heel and rushing back indoors to call Shigure and the others. Hating it as much as he could, he had to call for help. He couldn't handle this on his own.

"You keep on running Kyou." He whispered into the receiver, which was still ringing on the other line. Thunder responded to this statement, the slow pitter-patter of the raindrops beginning to fall echoed in the silent room.

"Hello?" The person, Tohru, on the other line questioned as the phone was picked up.

"Get me Shigue please, Miss Honda. This is Hatori." He said in a grave voice.

TBC


	8. Chapter Eight

**Author's note**: Thanks everyone for the great reviews!

**Warnings**: This chapter is VERY DARK (or it implies it :ahem: rape :ahem:). There, I warned you all.

**Freedom in a Cage**

"I just don't understand why he would ask something so…" Shigure mumbled under his breath as he sighed heavily, trailing off and glancing at the down hearted Hatori.

"…Unlike him." Hatori finished off, eyes sad as he nodded in response to the statement that Shigure made about the out of character Kyou.

"I hope he's all right!" Tohru commented with teary eyes as she bit her lower lip to try and stop it from trembling. Her throat began to close up again as she tried to stop herself from sobbing over the missing Kyou.

Yuki, silent over the news that had shocked him, stared at the grass mutely. They were trying to track down the emotionally distressed Kyou, and as of yet…it wasn't coming along quite well. "Don't worry, Miss Honda," he said, trying to cheer up Tohru. She always did have a habit of taking the world's many problems onto her shoulder's around.

"He couldn't have gotten far." Haru commented with solemn eyes as he looked around for a flash of orange in the bleak-looking world.

"It's going to start raining soon," Tohru lowered her shoulders, almost ready to give up. "This isn't good, Kyou get's weak during the rain…"

Hatori blinked slowly, sighing inwardly with emotions leaking through his emotionless mask. He turned to Shigure, making sure his voice didn't carry over to the other teens. "He wasn't in the best of condition when I found him…"

Shigure turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, "You don't mean that…" He bit out with wider eyes, body now tense as he stiffly nodded. 'We can't leave him out there all alone with such injuries. He's been though so much as of recent and we can't allow him to break.' His mind flahsed back to the whole event with Kazuma and Kyou's true transformation.

"Kyou!" Tohru called loudly into the forest, trudging on through the dampened and bleak woodlands near the main house. She fell to the ground in a crying heap as she tried in vain to wipe the tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

"Please," She prayed, hoping her mother would hear her and give her strength, "Please someone find Kyou, please…!" If someone were to find him, everything would be fine and wonderful again.

If only she wished that she was wrong…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The city was dark, the rain that long before started pouring from the crying sky had helped wash away the dirt and blood staining his shivering body. He closed his eyes momentarily, not looking which way he turned as he walked down into a dark alley.

Thunder rumbled deeply in the clouds, making Kyou look up with half-lidded eyes as he sighed heavily and looked back down. His back throbbed, the welted lines that the whip made on his back pulsing with anger and pain. He grit his teeth, body's strength already beginning to fail him as the cat's spirit embodied in him reacted to the down-pour.

He trudged on, a cat jumping out of a garbage can every once in a while. Kyou wondered with a lathargic mind when the city seemed to dark and ominious, no longer the nice little town where the sun shone brightly. It seemed as if he waked right into one of the street alleys of the large cities, littered with trash, boxes, and arabid animals.

Which is why a dog grolwed at him, jumping out from it's spot near a trash can and a blakc bag that had been ripped to shreds with the razors for teeth the dog had. Fur standing on end, the dog lowered it's body, snarling and barring his fangs at the intruder to it's territory.

Kyou took a step back, adrenaline pumping through his veins as his body entered the 'fight or flight' state of mind. He knew that he couldn't fight the dog in his current condition and took another step back. He didn't expect the dog to leap at him with amazing speed, snarling as it clamped it's fangs down onto his flesh, intantly breaking his skin and muscle, blood flowing freely.

Kyou cried out in pain, instantly shoving the dog off, gripping his bitten forearm and hissed angrily. He should have expected the dog to try and attack him even more than a normal human since he carried the scent of a cat with him, many traits also. He barred his canine teeth at the dog which whimpered and scampered away.

He sighed, body sagging against the grime-covered wall as his eye lids fluttered, exhaustion reaching as far deep into his body as his bones. His head lolled momentarily and he snapped to attention once more, closing his eyes only for a moment which turned into a few minutes.

Something wrapped around him, pressing him to the wall and his eyes shot open, crimson irises narrowing with disgust and hate to the thug holding his hands above his head against the wall rather roughly. Kyou snarled, trying hard not to show his exhaustion.

"Well, well…" He struggled vainly to get free from the grip, fear tinged in his eyes now as he panted from excertion. The thug grinned evilly, head lowering to whisper in his ear, "Look at what the cat dragged in."

"People shouldn't wander alone…" Another said, stepping out of the shadows that he seemed to materialize from. "…Bad things can happen to them." His hand tightened around the chains that he had wrapped around his knuckles.

"Kikaru's right…" The thug pressing Kyou against the wlal gruffly said, grinning as a streak of lightning crahsed against the sky, "Very bad things can happen..."

TBC

Author's note:

(O.O) (my reaction to this chapter)

…wow…..that was a creepy chapter….(I can't believe I wrote it)

ACK! Man, this was an unexpected change of the story for me. This is why the story is rated R. I'm not going into any dark detail though I don't write scenes like that, only imply them. I guess I'm either sadistic or deranged, but hey—I warned y'all that it was going to be dark and angsty.

Yeah, I've already got the next chapter all plotted out in my mind…hopefully I won't forget it and I'm terribly sorry for the long wait for the chapterlot's of stories to work on and the :cough cough: damned idea's won't stop coming. Plus, I might get therapy yea!

Comments and suggestions are always wanted or loved by me and my teddy bear! .

Liebe, Red Tail


	9. Chapter Nine

Over the pounding rain, sirens and flashing red and blue lights mixed with flourecent white blinked shone brightly through the blinding rain. Wind sheild wipers rubbed quickly against the glass of the police vehicle. The headlights were on, creating somewhat of a halo around the haze and pouring weather surrounding them.

"Perfect weather for patrol, eh?" One officer, whose name was Tomoyo, chuckled, griping the steeringwheel and holding it tight despite the four wheel traction the car guarunteed.

"I seriously hold that you were joking," Batsu replied, looking at his partner before he narrowed his eyes through the rain streaking down the window. They were driving slowly, their keen eyes taking longer to look out through the blurred windows for any signs of trouble.

"Stop the car!" Batsu yelled, his partner slamming on the breaks and jerking the car roughly to a stop, but not before sliding a little and almost hitting a nearby wall leading into a dark alley.

Groaning, Tomoyo looked up and rubbed his neck. Whiplash was a very bad thing sometimes. "What was that all about?"

He tried to look out of the back window, seeing nothing except the river trails of water running down the side of the vehicle. He turned to his partner once more and stared at him hard with his eyes before answering,"I thought I saw something…"

Tomoyo groaned again at Batsu's odd behavior. "Thought…?" He muttered under his breath.

Looking down at his gun, Batsu set his jaw firmly and looked at his partner before roughly nodding and opening the door to step out into the heavy rain that was flooding the streets, and even some homes on lower levels. There would be a lot of mudslides in the forests now.

"Is anyone out here?" Batsu questioned, hand over the holster to his gun just incase. It was very odd that anyone would be out in weather such as this, most of the shops and businesses were closed so people could go home or stay in the office until the storm blew over, which would take a while judging by the wather hitting them currently.

"Hello!" He called once more, taking a cautious step towards the entrance of the alley. He stopped and looked down at his feet and frowned when he saw a dark shadow a few inches away from him.

Orange hair flashed in a sudden streak of lightening and he gasped, ending down to check for a pulse on the unmoving figure. Heart racing and blood pounding, he fumbled with the straps of his radio hanging posiely on his belt.

Ripping it off forcefully, he checked the boy lying with wounds marring his body all over, clothing mostly torn off. Bite marks and bruises showed the possibility of an attack by a roaming gang member was more likely, possibly even… he stopped that thought and shivered. A small, weak and fastly paced pulse reached his sensitive finger tips. He sighed with relieve that the boy was at least still alive.

"Get some abulances over here!" He heard the door of the vehicle he was in open and close, Tomoyo most likely hearing the message from his radio in the car.

"This is officer Batsu, on…" The message went on, continuing to run through the police system as an ambulance with one of the best medical team was assembled.

"What's going on!" Tomoyo yelled into the blinding rain, cupping his hands in hopes that his voice would travel farther as he raced over to the crouched and hunched form of his partner in the force.

"I don't know, I found this kid." The teen was pastely white, breathing shallow and labored. Both officers frowned, wishing that time would speed up so that the medical vehicles would arrive, but they would have to be careful and drive safely.

The rain continued to pour on the pondering police men, hitting against their flesh like shards of ice. "I think…I think that he was tortured," He narrowed his eyes at another thought, "The culprit's probably still out there…" _Other's could be in danger. _

Other people like Tohru Honda.

TBC

Author's note:

Thanks to all those who reviewed! Sorry it took so long to update and this one was so short!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Freedom in a Cage**  
by: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

Chapter Ten

"Are you sure of this?" A person sat in a sleek black car, driving through the rain while the other passanger crossed his arms, choosing to look out the window instead of looking at his partner in crime.

"Hn," The person grunted in reply while closing eyes to block out the world. "We're getting paid good money for this. And would you turn down a dying man for his last requests?" His partner was silent.

"But," the passanger snapped his eyes open and looked sharply at the driver, "I just don't think that it's right…doing that to a girl that's innocent."

Sighing heavily, the other man ran a hand through his brunette hair, looking at the driver with piercing green eyes that glittered coldly and held suspisious thoughts well hid. "And you didn't voice your opinion when we did that to the kid?" He grumbled, crossing his legs by his ankles.

The driver glanced at the brunette, blonde hair tickling his nose a little bit before he turned his attention back to driving. His bit his lower lip and swallowed the lump growing in his throat, "But…" he began to protest before a harsh growl from his "boss" was heard and he snapped his mouth quickly.

Silence fell over the car. The passanger sunk into the hard leather seat, closing his eyes to remember the pact he had made with something that could be considered evil itself.

_A young boy, or what it looked like at least, looked up with cold eyes that glittered icy in the dim daylight that managed to creak through the window. Black hair that fell about to his shoulder blew lightly in the breeze that fluttered in through the window like a butterfly._

"_You called for us?" Shioshi's boss questioned, raising an eyebrow to peer at the youth lying sickly on the futon near to them. His green eyes were piercing, daring the kid to say that he didn't have the money. They were, after all, the best and the best required the best…money of course._

_Money could buy everything…even death._

"_I need someone to be taught a lesson." The voice was cold and smooth, a dealy hint to it like a switch blade or a gun. _

"_We don't teach people lessons unless the price is right." Shioshi replied just as smoothly. It was part of the business, something that you picked up on or died for your weakness._

"_Do you have the money?" Kakui questioned with crossed arms, leaning more on one of his legs than the other._

"_Yes." The boy, Akito, replied as he looked at them, waiting for their response to his request. If they agreed, they would go into the detail of who the person was. If they backed out of the deal…they would have to be disposed of._

"_Well?" Kakui questioned, looking at Shioshi who nodded a little bit to show his agreement to accepting the mission for the two of them._

"_We agree." And those words sealed their fate._

_Akito grinned icily, "Good…" He slyly replied as he narrowed his eyes with mirth. Revenge would be his._

"_Then here is the target…or two." He flipped out a picture, one of an orange haired youth with strangely colored irises—crimson? Kakui wondered with they were colored contacts._

_The second was of a smiling, and innocent looking girl with brown hair and pretty big eyes, laughing with happiness sparkling in her eyes. Her outfit was that of a school uniform, the one nearby from what he knew from other target's children that he had…disposed of one might say._

_How could one so innocenct be their target…? _

_He shook the thought away quickly. He had learned over the years that even the most innocent of looking people could be the most dangerous._

"_Their names?" Shioshi questioned with a raised eyebrow as he looked over his boss's shoulder to look at the targets._

"_Tohru Honda and Kyou Sohma."_

"_Sohma…?" Kakui looked up, lowering his hand from observing the pictures. "Is he part of your family?"_

"_In distant blood lines." Was the sharp reply, "I'm sure that this isn't the first case where this has happened?"_

_Kakui nodded, "There are a lot of jobs where we get rid of family members standing in people's ways." Shioshi replied._

"_Is that all we need?"_

"_Fifty grand for each of them." Shioshi looked back at Kakui and nodded his head a seeing the serious look on his face._

_Akito raised an eyebrow, "So much?" He narrowed his eyes._

"_We do have conscience." Shiosh replied smoothly, looking at the sickly teen lying on the bd._

"_Fine." Akito snapped argrily. "Do the job right, or else it'll be cut inhalf to fifty for both of them." He looked at his new associates sharply, "And make sure that they are kept **alive**." _

"_Why would that be?" Curiosity killed the cat and well, satisfaction brought it back. News could be considered satisfaction._

"_I want to see the look on their faces when I see them." Kakui shivered despite himself, "I want to see that haunted look in their eyes…"_

_And that was the end of it._

"Kakui?" The man opened his eyes to look at the blue-eyed blonde.

"What?" He snapped, not yet quite awake. His settings of where he was weren't booted up yet like a computer slowly restarting. All he had to do was feel his gun and remember that in his dreams there were no weapons and the world was a little kinder to them.

His voice was guilty, as if he didn't want to go through the rest of the deal. Kakui would be damned if he didn't get his one-hundred grand. Shioshi sighed heavily, "We're here."

TBC

Author's note: Heachan requested this and here is the chapter! I tried to make it a little longer than I usually do since I hadn't updated because of a writers block.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Woo! Over 50 reviews! Yeah:Glomps: Thanks you all everyone! What did you think of this chapter? Anyone have any suggestions on how I should torture Tohru:Snickers evilly:

Love, Red Tail


	11. Chapter Eleven

Guilt. It was something that was missing in his soul, something that had long left his body. After all, when being in the business such as he was, these things didn't seem to affect him so much. He had seen children's body parts, lungs and other items that were cut from children, sold on the black market then sold onwards to other rich people afraid to die without a donor to save them from some disease. It was sad to think of how many orphaned children and other druggies had sold away their life to live on the less-than-endearing lifestyle of the black market.

And that was where they were when they were approached with a rather interesting offer.

He smirked coldly, the ashes from the cigarette reflecting on his face in the darkness that he easily blended into. His cold eyes mirthlessly glinted in the fiery light emitted from the fag as he pulled it out of his mouth, dropping it and rubbing the heel of his boot into it. The smell of nicotine enveloped him and he felt somewhat less troubled with the odd behavior of his partner.

He shrugged, 'I needed a new one soon anyway.' He remembered the pleas of the last one begging for his life while staring at the barrel of his gun. Why couldn't any of the partners he picked choose to be like him, cold and heartless in their job?

A shadow moved out of a lit room and he smirked again, a solemn look soon washing over his face as a cold and calculating mask was put on instead.

Now was the time to strike, but not in the ways that some would think of someone such as himself. He was given leave to do whatever to the girl, rape her, torture her or whatever to teach her a lesson. And to make sure her tongue would stay in check.

He hefted the bag on the group up onto his shoulders, effortlessly scaling the wall and opening the window to the room of the girl named Tohru Honda. He looked around and then took out papers with tape.

Perfect…

**Freedom in a Cage**

_By: Lost-Remembrance_

Tohru walked through the halls with a fake smile on her face, something that she had been doing a lot more as of late. It wasn't her fault, they told her, but she couldn't help but wonder if it really was. Why did bad things always happen to her and those around her? Kyou was so kind, he didn't deserve all the things that had happened to him…or what were.

She let a frown cross her face and a person walked in front of her and she slipped her smile back on. It was pointless letting Yuki and Shigure worry. They would think that she was working too hard, telling her that they would find him…but nothing could hide the truth evident in their eyes that was growing more and more apparent in them each passing day. Somehow, she knew something bad had happened or was going to happen.

Clutching the towel around her shoulder's more tightly, she stepped lightly across the wooden planks of the floor, eyes trailing over the cracks until she stopped by the bathroom door, knocking gently and then opening the door and stepping inside. She closed her eyes and slid the door closed tightly, leaning her body against the frame and then sliding down and wrapping her arms tightly around her quivering form.

Why were these tears rimming her eyes?

She bit back sobs, promising herself that she could, and would be strong if not for the others than Kyou himself. They needed strength, not some wimpy girl… She let some tears slip her eyes and angrily wiped them away.

It was amazing how one event, one boy with orange hair and crimson eyes could bring out so many mixed emotions and mood swings and changes in her.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up shakily on her feet and balanced herself again, turning on the water and stripping her clothing and stepping into the warm water. She closed her eyes and let herself be enveloped by the warm feeling washing over her.

Reaching for the strawberry shampoo on the side of the tub, she rubbed the fragrance into her hair roughly, not caring how much it hurt when she did this. Images flashed before her closed eyes. She opened them to stop the memories and blinked, gasping when the shampoo hit her eyes and she blinked, fighting the burning sensation that slowly ebbed away after a while.

She grabbed the bar of soap and held it up to her forearm. Then she saw the trails of blood. The trails of blood that weren't from her, but from Kyou. They were self-inflincted and she remembered them like it only happened minutes before. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but take the bar, rubbing it viciously over her arm, trying to clean the dirty feeling washing over her.

She was so dirty, so covered in blood and taint.

The bar of soap fell from her arms, falling to the floor. Water turned cold but she didn't stop. Her eyes held panic as she scrubbed at her arms, scratching them, trying to do anything. The water washing over her body and onto the red arms mixed with some blood rivulets slowly streaming from the slashes she had made.

"No…" She whispered, stopping the shaking in her hands by clenching them and stepping out of the shower, turning the water off and wrapping a towel around her, drying off her delicate frame.

She slipped on her fresh pajamas and walked out into the hall, hair still damp despite the thorough towel dry she had done previously. Then she opened the door to her room and frowned.

Did she turn off the lights?

She shrugged off any suspision and flicked the light switch and stepped into the room…only to stop moments later.

Pictures were everywhere, taped onto the walls, the ceiling, her bed…everything was covered in pictures.

And they weren't just any pictures…no, the pictures…they were of Kyou.

"No…No…NO!" She fell to the floor, clutching her head and shaking it wildly as her hair slapped against her clothing, water droplets from her tears and the wet hair falling on the pictures.

Thumpings were heard, footsteps hitting the floor planks of the stairs and second floor hallway indicating that Shigure and Yuki were on their way. "Miss Honda!" Yuki's voice reached her ears as if she was six feet under.

The two of them came rushing into the room, prepared for anything except for what greeted them.

Yuki's eyes widened. Shigure's mouth was open as they all took in the sight. "Oh my god…" Tohru wasn't even aware of who whispered the statement that spoke for all of them.

Pictures of Kyou were taped all over the room. Pictures of Kyou that showed him bleeding, perhaps even dying, some naked, some with marks and wounds on his body, and others with bruises and tears or dried tear trails. There were pictures everywhere…

TBC

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait! I kinda screwed up my arm so I'm having trouble writing this chapter (motrin makes all the pain go away somethingsXP ) I hope that you all liked it and thanks to Kurayami22 for the suggestions on the chapter! They really helped!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed :bows in respect: I admire all who are able to continue reading this dark fic XP

Reviews are loved and welcomed with hugs!

Love, Red Tail


	12. Chapter Twelve

Note: I do understand that the last few chapters were somewhat confuzzling, but please bear with me—this is a rather complex story…one of the most complex that I've ever written I do believe.

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Freedom in a Cage

_By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)_

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Chapter Twelve:

Her shoulders were shaking—no, her entire body was. But, she thought with a dark laugh as tears blurred her vision once more, refusing to fall like they had so many times during the past week, at least that things couldn't possibly get any worse. Her life had hit an all time low.

Yuki had a arm on her shoulder, giving her warmth and reassurance. She couldn't help but look into his eyes, and there she found no comfort from her sideways glance. His eyes were cold and hateful, already plotting revenge. Sure, it was a legend and supposed truth that the rat hated the cat and vice versa, but could it really be said after all this?

The words scribbled in blood on her bedroom was were still being scrubbed away, Hatori coming over to help Shigure (who blanched when he realized It was his responsibility to clean up since he was the adult of the house) clean the "mess" and check on the traumatized teen.

Of course she wasn't the only one, all of them were. The pictures had been taken down, put into trash bags but not yet thrown out. People would question, especially the garbage people after looking at the explicit photos.

She shivered in remembrance to the horrifying images burned into her mind. Did people not have any care for others? Were they so low…so shallow to rape an already obviously injured teen. She shook her head, hair cascading over her shoulders as tears threatened to fall this time. "Kyou…"

Yuki heard the words from her mouth, but he didn't look up or say anything. All he did was squeeze her shoulder a little bit, holding her from falling into a depressed state—something rather unfitting for the blissful high school student.

"Yuki," The girl didn't look up, just whispered the Rat's name, "When will this be over?" The question could have meant so many things, so instead of responding to her question, he chose to stay quiet. He sighed, wondering if his words would make the situation worse.

"Yuki?" Did he not hear the question, she wondered absent-mindedly, though all other thought were elsewhere.

He sighed, covering his face with his hand, running another though his hair, he choked back a sob as the images flashed in his mind again. "I don't know."

" What…" She took an unsteady breath, halting herself before she lost her composure. Continuing, she looked at him with her wide eyes, "What about Kyou?"

He bit his lower lip, a habit he had taken to recently from all the worrying. Sure, it was the cat he was worrying about, but it was none the less his cousin! He took a quaking breath, preparing himself for more of Tohru's questions before he snapped at her. "I don't know." In fact, he didn't know so many things.

"The police?" Another shuddered breath.

"We can't tell them. If they did, Akito would have our head." He looked at Tohru once more, "And…they would begin to look into us and for suspects."

"But…" Her brows knit together in confusion and worry, "What if…what if they already know something?" a thought came to her mind, "What if they found Kyou?"

The telephone had a wonderful way of making an entrance. Bringing and ringing loudly, two pairs of eyes looked at the instrument and Yuki got up, stiffly at first.

"Hello?" He questioned, choosing instead to simply greet the person on the other line in this way, too tired to say the normal 'moshi moshi, Sohma' greeting.

His eyes widened, "W…what!" Then the line disconnected after the speaker on the other line quickly talked in a hushed tone. He hung up the phone, looking at Tohru, who under exhaustion, had fallen prey to sleep and it's calls. His face softened. Good, she needed to rest.

"It should stop raining by tomorrow." Shigure said, looking at Yuki. "Who was that on the phone?"

"No one." And with that, he went upstairs, deciding to tell the news to everyone when they were rested, hopefully, for the day tomorrow. He could tell it was going to be a lovely day. Perfect, he sarcastically though, a sunny day to break news to them.

Sighing, he pushed open the door to is room, not even bothering to change into his night clothes as he simply closed the door, walking languidly over to his bed and collapsed, falling prey like Tohru down stairs to the late hours of the night.

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The day was beautiful, why wouldn't it be? The heavy showers from the previous day left a certain refreshing smell, Tohru imagined it would be something like a rainforest would smell like. The trees dripped water and she closed her eyes, smiling as she stood there carefree for the first time in a very long while.

The laundry from the past two days had piled up, but Tohru found she couldn't dry them anywhere else but outside on the small landing at the end of the hall. Waiting for a break in the weather, she smiled at the great opportunity of having such a glorious day like they now had.

It certainly didn't reflect the emotions running through her under the mask she had acquired. 'Kyou…' it was a whisper of a name, bringing back all sorts of bundled emotions ranging from fear, worry, concern, pain, and…love.

The wind blew gently, making her smile and let out a small giggle, the first real laugh that she had in a long time, as her hair tickled her across the cheek. Giddy feeling of when she remembered the times she had with Kyou left her with a lower pit in her stomach when she realized that the past would remain the past. She closed her eyes, keeping them closed until a noise alerted her she wasn't the only one on the balcony.

Her eyes flashed open as she ran right into someone and threw out her arms on impulse. Only to end up falling right onto an a pale haired youth, whose eyes were wide. Yuki, the rat of the zodiac. That wasn't good.

She closed her eyes and opened them after a blast of air and smoke happened. She sniffled, "I'm so sorry!" She cried, picking up a somewhat smiling rat and held him out in her arms. "I'm so sorry, Yuki!"

"It's all right." The rat said with a smile, 'At least she beginning to act more of herself.' She held that look in her eyes, and he knew that she was blaming herself as always. "Really." He assured, hoping she would listen to him.

She heard him, but couldn't help but nod her head and mumbled another, "I'm so sorry." Tohru sniffled again as she felt the rat's small paw brush against her cheek, wiping away a tear creeping down it.

"I wanted to tell you something." Yuki looked at the even a little bit happy girl, hoping that the news wouldn't ruin the mood that he had caught her in. No matter what was said, it had to be done.

"Hm…?" Tohru questioned, tilting her head and somewhat glad at the change of subject. She really didn't mean it---

"Well…you see…I …uh…we…"

"It's all right, Yuki." Tohru said with a reassuring smile and a gut feeling it was news about Kyou, "You can tell me anything." The word anything seemed to echo through the woods and house oddly and Yuki held back the ominous feeling in his stomach. What would the outcome of these words be?

She took a shaky breath as she prepared herself for the news.

He closed his eyes for the moment, steeling himself. "We have a possible lead," She looked at him with hopeful eyes brimmed with tears and a small smile on her face, cheeks flushed. She sniffled, holding back the tears that were threatening to come with the news. "We think we may have found Kyou."

And, as if to add more of a relaxed or merry atmosphere, another poof of smoke and Yuki was sitting next to her, reaching for his clothes with a light blush on his face and an even redder one for Tohru.

"Where?" She mumbled over her shoulder, having turned her back to give Yuki more privacy.

"At the hospital." And those words certainly deflated the mood of the day.

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**Freedom in a Cage**

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

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Chapter :

The car hit a bump and rough spot in the road, sending some of the passenger's from their still stance into a bouncing jumble of bones.

The ride was silent, not a soul in the car uttering words of comfort to one another. Words couldn't do anything to numb the words that had reached them of a youth in the hospital, intense care unit, that resembled the person they had filed as missing.

Kyou Sohma.

Tohru had her head bent and eyes tightly closed, fists clenching the hem of her wrinkled school skirt. Her long light brown hair hung over her hunched shoulders, bangs falling over her eyes as she promised not to cry in front of everyone—she needed to be strong.

She choked back a sob and she felt the warm arms of Yuki wrap around her shoulder to try and comfort her. She wouldn't have any of it and ripped out of his grasp, a hurt look flashing on his face which the driver, Shigure couldn't help but notice.

He was so pale, his skin looking even paler with his vibrant orange hair hanging heavily over his eyes and brushed teasingly against his nose, as if trying to tickle him. His body was thin, still holding it's masculine and muscles look but still showing the immense weight loss. Dark circles under his eyes showed the lack of sleep Kyou had suffered.

It was amazing, in a sick and terrifying fascination, what one person could do to their own self, and by those of others…wounds were marring his once beautifully sculpted body. His wounds from the previous tortured had been ripped open again, or at least the ones that had begun to heal, red with infection as thin, spidery red streaks crawled their way towards his heart. Hatori grimaced when he noted the damage.

Shigure shot a look at the doctor, wondering if the skilled doctor would be able to do, and if they would be able to get the cat out of the hospital before any other of the Sohma family got wind of what was going on. After all, there was a reason why they had their own family doctor.

Hatori shook his head with a sad, forlorn look in his eyes as he looked back at the now solemn dog of the zodiac. "This is beyond me." Hatori said with a lowered head as he looked the pale and motionless body hooked up to all sort of equipment. "You'll need to keep him here—they have the proper equipment to treat him there."

Tohru crouched near him, brushing her hand over his forehead to feel the fever there. His skin was beaded with sweat, his pulse weak but racing through his veins at much too fast of a pace. She gulped down the lump in her throat, sniffling to keep away the tears and brushed his orange bangs out of his face.

Not a single reaction, except a flinch at the cool touch of her hand on her skin… She pulled her hand away from him, afraid that her touch would hurt him. Would he even want her near him? She blinked back tears with that thought.

"Has there been any changes, doctor? …Well, since he got here I mean." Yuki questioned, holding Tohru's hand in his tightly as he tried to help her get a hold of herself. She looked like a wreck; blood shot eyes, hair dull, her petite form shaking unsteadily.

The older man shook his head, adjusting his glasses as she got ready to give them the diagnosis of the day. "He lost a lot of blood and suffered from a strong infection, which is taking it's toll now. He's currently nearing the critical state."

Shigure took a deep breath and bit his lower lip, thinking with dark eyes. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea in the first place, letting Tohru into this house, getting her involved. Either way, he should have known that Yuki or Kyo would end up getting hurt.

Somehow, he had a gut feeling that Akito had done this to the orange-haired cat. It wouldn't surprise him, though, if the head of the Sohma household had done so. He closed his eyes briefly to calm his nerves.

He would have groaned if his throat worked. He would have screamed if he could, he would have whimpered in the blinding pain that had set itself upon him.

The question was simply; what had he done to deserve this?

He found himself stuck here, lost in an oblivious state that he knew wasn't real and that was at the same time. A little bit of in between one might say.

And then, the memories wouldn't stop coming. They kept reeling, reminding him of what had been done, something that couldn't, and wouldn't be able to change or reverse. Not even Hatori and his memory erases could wipe the shame and pain that clawed deep into his soul, nestling further than even his love for Tohru.

It was stupid, she wouldn't and couldn't love him. The picture of her face when she saw his true form burned into his mind, reminding him of what a pathetic and worthless creature he was. Who was love a used toy like himself? All he was good for was playing with, and even then broken toys were thrown away in the end.

_Rain splatter over him as a car drove by swiftly, not caring who, or what, the puddles of rain the streets slowly collected hit when rolled over._

_He sniffled, the numbing feeling spreading through his entire body. He closed his eyes, wishing for the numbness to stay forever. Perhaps this was why people became alcoholics? To numb their soul forever to stop the pain that was worse than any physical injury could inflict._

_Rainwater that continually fell from the crying heavens matted down his hair and the fiery look in his eyes was now long gone, tamed by the turmoil pitted deep in his soul. Pains of emotion stabbed through his body, reminders to the pain and weakness his body was in. _

_He looked up, closing his eyes and drifting off while he was still walking to find the streets vacant, the pedestrians long gone to seek shelter from the freezing rain slashing at his skin. He didn't care. _

_He sniffled again, knowing it was not from the symptoms of crying or a sneeze, but that of a cold. He snorted, not caring if he was sick or not. He had long past the boundaries of caring the moment he had been freed from that hell hole that Akito had claimed was the only place suitable for the vile and unworthy cat._

_Why did everyone hate the cat so much?_

_Was it because he didn't attend the banquet, because the rat tricked the cat? What made them so special anyway? Why did he become an outcast simply because of that event? He lowered his eyes and clenched his fists together so tightly that thin, barely noticeable crimson blood streams trickled down between the cracks of his fingers. Why…? _

_His thought pattern was disrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder, the smell of wet clothing from the other person and one that he couldn't match reached his stuffy, yet still runny nose._

_"Wha…?" Another gripped his other shoulder and he struggled to turn around as he was lead away from the street into a nearby alley._

_A cold smirk, one of a masked man in black leather managed to reach the growing haze in his mind. A chuckle from the man later and he growled, prepared to fight back. With his futile efforts, he soon found himself pinned against a brick wall._

_Somehow, in the depth of his mind he knew what was coming, knew what happened in hopeless situations such as these. He would rather die. _

_"Pretty little thing, aren't you?" His stomach churned. If he had his strength he could take this guy on, knock some sense into him like he would to Haru, or at least Black Haru._

_"Makes up for your ugliness." He growled back as a retort, getting a slap in response, a knee between his legs holding his lower torso to the wall and arms pinned above his head by his captor's other hand._

_"Pretty thing with a tongue." Next thing he knew, the man lunged forward, pushing his lips against Kyou's in a brutalizing kiss that made the orange haired teen shiver, trying to get away._

_His vision sway, the lack of oxygen making the world around him spin. Another dark shadow stepped out from somewhere, acting almost as if he was a shadow itself._

_He was released from the bruising kiss._

_"Having fun?" Came the other person's voice, echoing in the eerily quiet alley._

_A grin to that question, turning hungry and lustful eyes to look over the slim, but toned body of Kyou. He shrank back, trying to free himself once more from the strengthened grasp. _

_Why, and better yet, since when was he so weak! _

_"Oh don't worry," The man leaned in, whispering in his ear as cool breath crawling over his skin made him feel dirty and soiled somehow. The person chortled as he tried to pull free once more. A nip, more like bite, on the neck made him gasp, his efforts of escape halting. "I'm sure that you and me…we'll have **lots** of fun."_

_After countless bouts of intense pain that rocked and coursed through his blood and veins, he gave into his body's desire and black out._

_When he woke, the images of the men touching him, taking something that could never be taken back…his body shut down, his heart as well. _

_It was all his fault after all, if he had been stronger, this never would have happened…if…._

He felt a hand touch his body, a icy cold hand brush over his forehead. He would have shivered, but he found that he didn't have any control over his body.

Voices reached to him like he was under water, the voices of everything on low volume. He was struggling to still fight off the darkness that called to him, whispering to ease his wishes of ending the pain and entering a state of nothingness.

Kyou couldn't help but wonder what it was like to die.

"Doctor," it sounded like a female's voice, small and it held such sadness. "Will he be all right?"

A sigh from the man, the doctor Kyou assumed and what he also thought was shuffling of papers. Just where was he? He couldn't be at a hospital…could he?

"To put it simply, not good." He felt his gut retch inside him, twisting a knotting as he heard the news.

"There's evidence to possible sexual assault, but we aren't sure. We didn't check as through as we would like due to his intense condition. He focused on the main things—checking for internal bleed and other large wounds that could be life threatening."

"God…" There was a deep breath, why did this one sound like Yuki? "Where there any?" The question seemed forced, almost as if Yuki, if this person was the rat of the zodiac, was worried over him and his condition.

Kyou double-took on what he had just thought and mirthlessly gave a mental laugh, as if the cat of the zodiac would be loved, or even have concern from another—and especially from that of the rat no less! That was a real April Fool's day prank, that much was for sure.

Shuffling of feet reached Kyou's ears and he strained an eye open, praying his strength wouldn't fail him now as he felt the waves of pain hit him as he fought off the drugs in his system, forcing him to stay unconscious.

"Yes. Not many though, luckily we found him when we did." Through blurry vision, he could see a girl in a wrinkled school uniform, knees drawn up to chest as if in an effort to fight off the outside world.

"What should we do now then, doctor?" Shigure's voice held no laughter or joy. He seemed tired, face looking to belong of that of an older man. He looked nearly twice as old.

"Hopefully, he'll be stable enough to care for before the drugs wear off…then we can do a more thorough examination, with your permission of course." Shigure nodded slightly after hearing the doctor's orders.

"Are you not telling us something?" The doctor turned his eyes to look at the boy sitting with a arm wrapped around the saddened girl in comfort, looking back at him with equal emotion speaking in his eyes.

At times, Yuki could be a teen of few words.

"Well," the doctor paused, "The effects of a possible rape…"

Tohru jerked her head up to stare at Kyou who looked like he had been through hell and back. He was dressed almost fully in gauze and bandages wrapped around him. An IV line and other machines were connected to him, monitoring him for the best and hopes of improvement.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw something, a crimson eye of the still figure was half lidded, showing that the reckless youth managed to wake, if not fully but partially. "Kyou!"

However, despite the doctor's words of advice, her heart plumetted to the floor and shattered upon noting the dull and utterly broken forlorn look in Kyou's eyes.

"Kyou…" Tears brimmed her eyes, falling for the first time since she had learned of his disappearance and she had cried herself to sleep with worry.

_"It's also possible that he blames himself for everything that has happened."_

TBC

Author's note: Woo! There's only a couple more chapters to this story, or at least that's what I think. There may be more than one. I might merge 'Scarlet's' few chapters with this and taken down that story since it was somewhat related to this one.

Thanks to those who reviewed! I understand that this story is indeed dark, but I hope that all of you are enjoying it if you're into that sort of thing! XP This and Innocence is probably the darkest story I've ever written.

I tried to make this chapter a little longer, XD Sorry if it isn't!

Reviews are always loved and welcomed with a hug!

Love, Red Tail


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Thank you to everyone who had reviewed for this story—I have to say thanks to all the reviewers for sticking to this story and reviewing. It's really helped me push the story along until the end, not just leaving it hanging.

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**Freedom in a Cage**

_By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)_

Finale

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A heavy sigh escaped from Hatori's pursed lips as he took off is glasses and leaned back into the chair he was sitting in. Rubbing his temples, he looked back up at Shigure. "There isn't really much that you—or any of us can do to help his mental state." He took the cup of tea offered to him by Shigure.

"Everyone but Tohru." The dog of the zodiac pointed out, sipping his tea before setting it back down onto Hatori's desk.

Hatori took a sip of tea, looking in the glass before speaking again, "But I have a feeling that she is the cause of all of this in the first place." Shigure bowed his head and remained silent.

An awkward silence then fell over the two.

"Therapists won't work?" Shigure questioned, breaking the silence that made him uncomfortable, even with Hatori's presence in the room.

He shook his head, "No." He placed the cup down on the table, "If anything, it might make him feel less secure about everything."

"We can't have that." Hatori nodded in agreement to that.

"What can we do?" Shigure shifted in his chair uneasily, doing nothing but sitting and discussing the possibilities of helping the cat was making him rather edgy.

"Nothing." Opening his mouth to protest, he closed it abruptly before any words could come out, the argument dying instantly.

Hatori sighed and gripped the cup of tea, staring into the brownish liquid, seeing the steam roll off the hot drink. "Do you hate him?"

A laugh escaped his lips, sounding sarcastic and somewhat painful sounding, "How can I?" Biting his lip, Hatori nodded his head and agreed, if not verbally then silently.

"What would you do in my place?" Hatori looked up, somewhat shocked and a little muffled by Shigure's question.

Licking his dry lips, he looked away and turned to the papers on his desk to avoid the dull pain lurking in Shigure's now mirthless eyes. "I would do what I could in small tokens."

"I thought you would say something like that."

Deciding to change the subject, Hatori picked up his pen and began doing some documenting and filing while questioning, "Have they found the suspects yet?"

"No."

Well, that discussion just died there, shot down in the sky as soon as the bird took flight. 'So much for that.' Hatori cleared his throat, looking up this time, "Why not?"

Shigure sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "They didn't find the suspects because they know who did it."

That raised an eyebrow from the normally silent and calculating doctor, "Then they still haven't caught them yet." He gripped his pen, wondering just how hard they were looking for these people to bring justice to the system, and to Kyou.

"Yes, they don't have them in custody." Shigure replied, hands clenched at his side as he took the drink and stiffly raised it to his mouth, sipping the cooling liquid slowly. "They have the people though."

"That doesn't make sense." Hatori protested, leaning forward as he looked intently into Shigure's eyes. He shifted some of the papers on his desk around in some sort of order and leaned back, patiently waiting for Shigure's response.

"They have the bodies."

His eyes were wide, obviously taken aback by the answer. "What?" He questioned, regaining his composition rather quickly.

"Somebody got to them before the police could. They located the alley where the raping happened since there was still blood and…" Shigure took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Other evidence and they found bits and pieces of the body thrown about the alley."

A shiver ran down Hatori's spine. "Is wasn't Kyou that did that…was it?" When Kyou was in his original cat form, he could be quite strong, if not grief-stricken by painful memories when in that form.

"No." Shigure shook his head, "I think that they were silenced."

Hatori closed his eyes and his shoulder's slumped, "What do you think will happen now?"

Shigure shrugged, "Not even time will tell. From everything that's happened up to this point, I'm guessing time doesn't even know."

A small laugh escaped Hatori's mouth despite everything that had happened, "You're probably right…"

"As always." Hatori looked up and nodded, 'It's good to see that some people are beginning to act like they used to.'

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Finale**

Taking a deep breath, Tohru looked up and stared at Kyou who sat in silence up on the rooftop of Shigure's house. In her hands were two steaming cups of tea for them to sip while they waited in the night, wondering who would speak first. Somehow, it had become a ritual for the two of them to dwell in the presence of one another, soaking up comfort and reassuring feelings.

Looking up at Tohru who climbed with skill onto the roof, he looked back down at what he held in his hands. He slipped something back into his pocket. He had been pondering over something's while looking at the smiling people in the photograph, but he had to think on his own when looking at that picture.

She smiled lightly at him and handed him the drink. "It's still hot." He took the mug hesitantly, nodding in thanks.

A sad look glimmered in her eyes before it disappeared as quickly as it had come. He pulled out the blanket from under her arm and draped it over her and his shoulders as they sat side by side on the rooftop.

The moon hung in the sky, instead of kisses from the sun, moonshine wafted around them, making the night enchanting. She closed her eyes as a smile graced her lips, a laugh coming from her throat.

Kyou looked at her, raising an eyebrow, curious to her laugh. His eyes were dark, holding sadness and self-loathing. She gave him a comforting smile. "It's funny." She looked up at the sky with a longing look, "That the night never seems to act as if something sad has happened to us."

Kyou looked away, as if he was ashamed.

She closed her eyes, turning to look at him with a sad look on her face. "Don't blame yourself." She put a hand gently on his shoulder, feeling the muscles tense and she slowly withdrew her hand from it's reassuring position. She didn't want him to think she was disgusted with him. "You don't have to tell me what happened."

Kyou looked back at her and sighed heavily, accepting the mug of tea she offered to him with a smile. "You act as though…nothing ever happened." He winced internally at the way he put his words. He didn't want to remember that incident at all.

"Sometimes, I wish that none of it had ever happened." She looked at him, eyes sparkling in the dark, holding warmth and sadness for him, "I never cried so much in my life when you were taken from us. Not even when…" She took a deep breath and felt the tears begin to sting her eyes and she sniffled, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her pajamas. "Mom died."

Kyou felt awkward, opening up his arms as she fell into his embrace lightly, not giving him a complete hug but enough for the comfort of his touch to help calm her. "I wouldn't want to change anything." She mumbled.

Kyou jerked his head up, staring at her in disbelief. "What…!"

"I hate what those men did to you, but I remember Mom saying that everything has it's purpose. I think that this brought us closer together." A hint of a blush formed on his cheeks as well as hers.

"I don't think that…" He took a deep breath and tried to make the blush burning on his cheeks dissipate. "I'm ready…"

Tohru smiled warmly, "Oh, don't worry!" She laughed for the first time in a long time, "I don't want to step beyond friendship yet."

"How can you…?" He frowned in confusion, not being able to finish off the sentence. He was trash—a used toy. Who wanted to keep an old and worn toy like himself? "I…I…" He shook his head angrily, digging his nails into his palms and running his fingers of the other hand roughly though his hair in frustration, "How can you do this?"

She looked taken aback, after all, who wouldn't with his statement. Tilting her head to the side with a confused expression on her face, she questioned, "Do what, Kyou?" Gasping when she remembered her words, she couldn't help but think that it was her words that had caused him pain. She turned her face, flushed in shame and felt the tears prickle her vision once more. How many more times would she feel this endless pain in her stomach?

She couldn't help but sputter as the words soon fell off her tongue in an awkward jumble, "I…I'm sorry!" She sniffled, knees up close to her chest. A light breeze played with her hair and her nightclothes. 'So sorry, all my fault…' Her mind chanted in a mantra, brining more salty tears to haze her vision. Her breathing hitched.

And at the same time as her apology, Kyou found the right words to say and shouted them angrily at her; "I'm trash—used and reused!"

They blinked, then looked at one another.

A lone tear trailed its way down Tohru's smooth cheek, following the contours and frame of her cherubic face. Kyou's eyes followed the trail of the crystalline jewel, sparkling. Before it could fall off the edge of her chin, he lifted his hand and wiped off the liquid and stared at his wet hand.

Reaching up, Tohru took her hand in his slowly. She couldn't trust herself with words, knowing that actions wouldn't speak of how miserable she felt for causing Kyou even more pain and emotional turmoil than he already was in. She took a breath, "You're not trash, Kyou."

His eyes were distant, still staring at his hand. "I made you cry…" He whispered, "…again…"

"No!" Her hand sqeezed his, "Kyou, stop it right now!" She shook her head angrily, "What can I do to make you understand that it's not your fault!"

He continued to stare at his hand with blank eyes, lost in some memory or trance.

"Kyou!" More tears fell down her cheek and he continued to stay in the trance, gaze blank and mind empty of all thoughts and feeling. It was as if he was there in body, but not in soul.

"Made you cry…made me cry…" Tears glistened on his eyes.

"If I could take your place that day," He blinked, coming out of the memory to look into the tear-stained face of Tohru's. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern, something that surprised him, was that she was crying tears for him. "I would take your place in a heartbeat!"

Kyou took a sharp intake of breath. She…would take his place? "But…why?" He shook his head back and forth in confusion. No one would—or had ever done such a thing for him other than Master from the dojo and even when he had come to visit after the…incident, he couldn't smile.

_"Kyou," Master gave him a hug and he flinched. Seeing the flinch, Kazuma pulled away from his "son". Stuck in the awkward situation, the older man tried to start a light conversation by asking the easiest one. "How are you doing?"_

_Kyou didn't reply. He simply brushed past the older man and climbed the stairs slowly. He didn't care, what was life to him?_

_He closed the door to his bedroom, waking over to the bed before collapsing. Why were these tears lining his vision? He growled, cursing his weakness and clenched the bed sheets and buried his head into them. _

_He wanted to die._

_Leaning on the outside of the door, Kazuma bowed his head when he heard the muffled anguished sobs coming from the tortured teen's room. Bowing his head, all his would do was apologize for not being there and whisper a single name that fell on deaf ears, "Kyou…"_

It had been less than a few weeks, three at the most. Kyou had been released from the hospital, despite his lack of care for his health and everything else. He had been on anti-depressants for a long time until the doctor decided to stop the prescription in case he ended up getting addicted or overdose.

The wounds marring the cat's lithe and beautiful form had slowly faded, some into scars and then others healing perfectly. The only thing was, however that unlike the physical wounds that managed to scar his body, the emotional ones managed to cute deeper, scarring his soul.

"I already told you." Tohru wiped away her tears and leaned her head onto Kyou's toned chest. "I love you more than life itself." She looked up at him and stared at him straight in the eyes. It was nothing but the truth.

"Aa…" He was speechless none the less, and somehow, her words seemed to take off a heavy weight on his shoulders and his heart. He took a deep breath and nodded. He couldn't tear his crimson eyes from her innocent, but strong and truthful gaze.

Kyou offered a small, sad smile as the wind blew against him, orange hair blowing in the wind and crimson eyes with small, kindling sparks of happiness that had almost fell through his fingers once more.

"Let's start over Kyou, all over." Tohru grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the house, "Let's go back to the beginning, where everything was so much simpler."

Kyou looked at her hand wrapped around his. She still wanted to touch him even though he was so dirty and used?

"Dinner's ready—and I promise it doesn't have any leeks in it!" Tohru squeezed his hand as if to tell him she was there for him and she always would be. She would help him fight the nightmares and the tears of memories that would resurface time from time.

Kyou nodded and, as she began to run lightly, tugging him to come along with her, he picked up his pace.

"I'll be there for you, Kyou." She smiled at him and threw a "right-straight" at him as he let out a small smile.

After all, everyone deserved a second chance at happiness, right?

Now, in most stories, there is usually a kiss that ends up with something else. Fairy tales always end like that, but this is no fairy tale. There was no chaste or passionate kiss between Kyou and Tohru. No… the flowers bloomed and the budding friendship became stronger.

Instead of a kiss, Tohru got the first "real" hug from Kyou, ever. He opened up his arms to her and she realized how important one person could be in her life. Even if he ended up turning into a cat in the end.

'Thank you, Mom. For being there for me and watching over me.' She closed her eyes and rubbed Kyou's furry back soothingly as they both sank into one another's embrace. 'I don't think Kyou's ready to accept me as his girlfriend, if he even likes me…but it's good to know that Kyou's back, safe and sound.'

Pulling herself up to her feet, she rocked the sleeping cat back and forth, grabbing the clothes that fell off when Kyou transformed and headed off back to the window where she would climb in. She didn't look back at the picture Kyou had been looking at.

A single pure white feather fluttered to the ground, landing on a picture of two smiling teens, one with orange hair and another, this one a girl, with long brown hair pulled up by ribbons.

OWARI

Author's note: Well, it's finally, done (I thought that the ending was going to be somewhat short so I decided to make the previous chapter as long as I could) and…since some reviewer(s) asked for a happy ending, this is what I can do for you all! And, I did it without making it a Kyoru-filled fic, just a little bit (more on the lines of a little more than friendship relationship.

Thank you everyone so much for the reviews:hugs people: I want to thank everyone for sticking it to the end for this fic, even though it kinda ends now… :sniff: I do, however like the ending with the hug instead of a kiss XD People are like teddy bears—you just have to hug 'em all!

Since this story may have left you thinking afterwards, here's some answers to unanswered questions:

**The bad guys that raped him?** The whole part with the bodies of the two rapists was confusing, but I couldn't really find it in myself to change it. Basically, the person that hired him (Akito) couldn't have them talk to the police so he silenced them himself (or someone in the Sohma family did)

**Therapy! He needed it! …Right? **Kyou didn't, and couldn't, have therapy because then he might let it slip about the curse and the person would have to have their memory wiped.

**Why Kyou didn't have his memory wiped?** Well, Hatori does it to people that are "normal", so I couldn't have him kill off all Kyou's memories. People in the Sohma family would remember the rape and he could have nightmares of flashes of the memory and not know what happened.

**Why not a total all-out Kyoru?** Well, that's because I'm weird and I don't really have a clear idea of what pairing that I like, kind of like in the series. Does Tohru like Yuki or Kyou? That's your own personal opinion.

**The ending? What was with that?** Well, XD Movies always end in kisses, so…I thought, if it wasn't a romance, what about a happy ending with a hug of friendship and reassurance?

**Akito. What was with that?** Akito is a confusing person that gets to me. People say that he/she is a girl and then some say he/she is a guy. I tried to make your own opinion fit that in rather than my own, which is why for some of the torture scenes it was confusing. If I made him a guy, he was raped and if a girl…well, leave that to your imagination XD (but a guy can be raped by a girl cause it can be considered NCS)

I really enjoyed writing this story through the months or time. I think my writings improved with putting more emotion into things, and also with the fact that I can change from angst to all sorts of genres.

I also hate to say this, but I think this may be my last Fruits Basket story.

Anyhoo, Thank you once more to any who have reviewed and read this story! I hope that you liked the ending and enjoyed the story!

Love, Red Tail


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